WotC Seeking Your Setting Proposals (was "Big Wizard announcement")

[Storm Raven]

Re: Re: contest? we don' need no stinkin' contests!

Well, unfortuanately, none of the laws require you to call it a contest. The gaming commissions look at an objective critieria for events with the potential for gaining money through a public entry process. Some focus on the potential for the contest to be a promotion for the company involved, and number of entries can be a factor in deciding if an event is a promotion. I honestly do not know if this event would meet the definition of a contest in any given state, or country. I just worry that it might. I know that I would have advised that they put in a few contest-like rules in the event, if I felt it wasn't a contest.

Except it fails at one important element in determining it to be a contest. You are not purchasing a chance for winning, you are submitting a proposal to be considered for publication. The person selected is being compensated for services rendered (compiling the setting bible), not being given a prize. This takes this event well out of the contest territory.

 

[Mistwell]

Even if you wanted to call it a contest, does this meet the definition of one? What is the difference between this and an open submission for writers and an audition? If Disneyland decided to hold open auditions to see who would play the next set of diasney characters to walk around the park, and 20,000 people showed up to audition, would that be considered a contest under California State Law? If the answer is no, then I think this is an almost identical situation.

Also, since the setting search is being conducted by WotC, in Washington, then they would really only have to worry about Washington State Law. (I haven't checked the Submission Agreement everyone had to sign, but I would bet there is a Venue statement somewhere in there stating that it is to be governed by the laws of the state of Washington.) If Washington doesn't have a problem with it (and I don't know if they do or not), I don't think the laws of any other state would even matter.

California isn't particularly agressive in contest laws, so I doubt it. A few other states, and countries, might have a problem with that (particularly if a company gains a direct mail mailing list from the event, which I am not sure about with this event).

The laws of other states, and countries, do become involved, if residents of those locations are eligible to enter the event. That's why every contest says "void where prohibited". Otherwise, you would never have seen a demand for Bookies

 

[Xeriar]

Re: Its Monday

Folks,
Saw the bins of mail this morning. We are so doomed.

AV

p.s. Don't sweat the order of the paper in your submission. That was a misread of the word "covered" on my part.

p.p.s I'm not kidding, we are really hosed over here.

Let Christina set all of the ones coming in small envolopes aside for now?

 

[trix]

Re: Its Monday

Folks,
Saw the bins of mail this morning. We are so doomed.

AV

Dont suppose you have digital photos of your bin-room ?

We can then reconstruct the volume of the room and calculate the possible density of mail, then work out the number of submissions based on a 3-D reconstruction of the room.

-Tim

(hehe)

 

[River]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: aaaarrrrrgggghhhh

That would be incredibly stupid on the part of WOTC.

First of all, the cost of sending out those rejection letters alone would be tens of thousands of dollars. Add in the cost of the coupon, say, $5 off, and you're going to double the cost of the search.

Uh.... I think you need to think that through a bit more.

Lets assume there are 20,000 submissions, from say 10,000 sources.

You can send out a reasonably nice bulk letter for around 60 cents including postage.

That is 6K.

When you consider what this contest is costing them its a drop in the bucket. The real question there is time, and you can hire some college kid for 8 Bucks an hour for data entery... no big expense there.

Coupons? Coupons are just good business.

River

 

[Mistwell]

Re: Re: Re: contest? we don' need no stinkin' contests!

Except it fails at one important element in determining it to be a contest. You are not purchasing a chance for winning, you are submitting a proposal to be considered for publication. The person selected is being compensated for services rendered (compiling the setting bible), not being given a prize. This takes this event well out of the contest territory.

Good to know you are an expert on the contest laws of all 50 states, and all countries.

 

[Storm Raven]

Re: Re: Re: Re: contest? we don' need no stinkin' contests!

Good to know you are an expert on the contest laws of all 50 states, and all countries.

Reasonably conversant in the area of the law, as all attorney's should be. Perhaps you could give us a citation to laws that would vary widely from basic format of state contest laws in such a way that would include the WotC setting submission process as it is structured within them.

Until then, you are just being an alarmist with nothing to go on but wild eyed supposition.

 

[River]

If you ARE an attorney, then you know it is the attorney generals office of Florida who likes to bring these suits, on their own (or other states). Individuals don't bring a suit (there is no individual cause of action that I know of for failure to register), it's the state itself, for avoiding the registration fees and acting contrary to public policy.

I've never been near a gaming case. I've done nothing but criminal and contracts my whole career, and only a brief touch with criminal, so I haven't got a clue what the rules are, and I'm not going to spend good money on a westlaw search for something I don't particularly care about .

Speaking to my area, the contract looked like a solid unilateral contract to me! Acceptance by performance

And there could be a cause of action if one is created by statute... I've just never looked.

But who would be such a thug? The guy who sued EA because Ultima Online had a lot of lag?


River

 

[isirga eth]

but... but...

I'm not a lawyer.

AV already SAID it wasn't a contest per se, so there's no point to discuss.

Besides you're diverting Zulkir's attention from the point, which is:

what happens if my submission arrives after July 3rd? I don't want to be eliminated just because of a slow postal service!!

 

[River]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: contest? we don' need no stinkin' contests!

Reasonably conversant in the area of the law, as all attorney's should be.

I for one will become conversant when .... uh.... um...... I see no need ever to become conversant in this area of law. Perhaps if I had to for a specific case? Or if I saw a class on it and needed continuing ed hours....

"Gaming law" is not of the California bar exam, I doubt its on the Nevada Bar exam.

River